7 Swanky Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Auto Enthusiast

There’s less than a week to go until Christmas. That’s not a lot of shopping time left. Luckily choosing a gift for the auto enthusiast in your life is easy. And if you’re such a car nerd yourself that everything you give must have an auto-theme, your life is also set, because there are a ton of options to keep you and your recipient happy.

Car companies go out of their way to sell merchandise, “experiences,” and other don’t-need-must-have items linked to their brands. Here are a few to consider for your present buying, with some that’ll work even if you’ve left it to the very last minute.

01

Bring the Car From Outside to Inside

If you sometimes catch your significant other in the garage, just staring at their car, then it might be time to buy them some vehicle-related indoor items (hey, it’s cold out there). Try Porsche for impeccable design: The company sells an office chair for $5,690, but to be fair it’s the same seat you’ll find in the current, famed 911. If that’s too rich for your taste, how about the $530 wine cooler, made from a engine cylinder from an older, air-cooled, 911? And to hold your beloved’s collection of car-related reading material, try a shelf made from the rear wing on its GT3.

Credit: Porsche

If you sometimes catch your significant other in the garage, just staring at their car, then it might be time to buy them some vehicle-related indoor items (hey, it’s cold out there). Try Porsche for impeccable design: The company sells an office chair for $5,690, but to be fair it’s the same seat you’ll find in the current, famed 911. If that’s too rich for your taste, how about the $530 wine cooler, made from a engine cylinder from an older, air-cooled, 911? And to hold your beloved’s collection of car-related reading material, try a shelf made from the rear wing on its GT3.

02

Stay Well Adapted

The more environmentally minded, electric car driver doesn’t have to miss out on the accessory gifts. Maybe you’re worried about them running out of juice in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, only to find and outlet with more holes than they have prongs. Help them adapt. Car makers like Tesla sell connectors directly, or you can find adapter kits and extension cables at large hardware stores, or at popular online retailers, with guaranteed delivery, so they’ll make it all the way home after the holidays.

Credit: Newspress

The more environmentally minded, electric car driver doesn’t have to miss out on the accessory gifts. Maybe you’re worried about them running out of juice in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, only to find and outlet with more holes than they have prongs. Help them adapt. Car makers like Tesla sell connectors directly, or you can find adapter kits and extension cables at large hardware stores, or at popular online retailers, with guaranteed delivery, so they’ll make it all the way home after the holidays.

03

Keep Fully Charged

Is your special someone an EV fan who doesn’t actually own an EV yet (maybe they’re among the 400,000 Tesla Model 3 reservation holders)? Tease them in a nice way with a cell phone charger in the shape of their favorite car outlet, or in this case, one that’s “designed and inspired after Tesla’s supercharger monument at the Tesla Design Studio,” for $45. They can practice plugging and unplugging every day with a portable battery, a teeny tiny version of Tesla’s home power storage system, while they wait, and wait, and wait.

Credit: Tesla Motors

Is your special someone an EV fan who doesn’t actually own an EV yet (maybe they’re among the 400,000 Tesla Model 3 reservation holders)? Tease them in a nice way with a cell phone charger in the shape of their favorite car outlet, or in this case, one that’s “designed and inspired after Tesla’s supercharger monument at the Tesla Design Studio,” for $45. They can practice plugging and unplugging every day with a portable battery, a teeny tiny version of Tesla’s home power storage system, while they wait, and wait, and wait.

04

Live a Model's Life

Nobody’s suggesting you buy a $3 million Bugatti Chiron as a gift, (unless you live in Dubai and your partner already has all the other supercars so there’s really nothing left). But this replica of the hypercar’s engine is exquisite in its level of detail. And at only $10,000, it seems like a relative bargain. For that you get a quarter scale model, made from 1,000 parts. Vroom vroom noises not included.

Credit: amalagam

Nobody’s suggesting you buy a $3 million Bugatti Chiron as a gift, (unless you live in Dubai and your partner already has all the other supercars so there’s really nothing left). But this replica of the hypercar’s engine is exquisite in its level of detail. And at only $10,000, it seems like a relative bargain. For that you get a quarter scale model, made from 1,000 parts. Vroom vroom noises not included.

05

For the Kid in Everyone

Don’t forget the kids! Indulge their young love of cars and tech with modern updates on the toys you used to enjoy as a youth. Lego is now smart, and connected. Hot Wheels uses AI to keep races exciting, and provides a selection of driving modes. On second thought, this gift works just as well for adults. Or: screw the kids and keep it for yourself.

Credit: HOTWHEELS

Don’t forget the kids! Indulge their young love of cars and tech with modern updates on the toys you used to enjoy as a youth. Lego is now smart, and connected. Hot Wheels uses AI to keep races exciting, and provides a selection of driving modes. On second thought, this gift works just as well for adults. Or: screw the kids and keep it for yourself.

06

For Your Significant Other

If there’s someone who’s been gently hinting that they want jewelry for the last 11 months, but you just can’t buy something that somehow related to an engine, try Kinect Design. Their rings and necklaces, from $165, have tiny gears inside, which spin beautifully, and are sure to get you and your SO all revved up. Plus you can get them in this season’s most romantic colors: gold, rose gold, and gunmetal.

Credit: KINEKT

If there’s someone who’s been gently hinting that they want jewelry for the last 11 months, but you just can’t buy something that somehow related to an engine, try Kinect Design. Their rings and necklaces, from $165, have tiny gears inside, which spin beautifully, and are sure to get you and your SO all revved up. Plus you can get them in this season’s most romantic colors: gold, rose gold, and gunmetal.

07

Just Don't Say "Learn to Drive"

The car lover in your life is almost certainly convinced that he or she is a superb driver, but you know otherwise. And even if they’re alright, there’s always room to brush up on skills, or learn new ones that only a closed track and professional instructor can deliver. If your lucky gift recipient has a particular automotive proclivity, there’s a good chance there’s a course just for them. Let them takecornering classes in a BMW, go off-roading with Land Rover, or carve ice with Aston Martin. Bonus: If you’ve reading this on Christmas Eve, you don’t have to worry about delivery. Just print out the confirmation and put it in a card.

Credit: BMW

The car lover in your life is almost certainly convinced that he or she is a superb driver, but you know otherwise. And even if they’re alright, there’s always room to brush up on skills, or learn new ones that only a closed track and professional instructor can deliver. If your lucky gift recipient has a particular automotive proclivity, there’s a good chance there’s a course just for them. Let them takecornering classes in a BMW, go off-roading with Land Rover, or carve ice with Aston Martin. Bonus: If you’ve reading this on Christmas Eve, you don’t have to worry about delivery. Just print out the confirmation and put it in a card.